Observe the wacky world of an Engineering graduate, trader and martial arts enthusiast in Australia.

Wednesday, May 29, 2002

Mahathir’s pending meeting with the Pope significantThis article was taken of thestar.com.myTHE impending visit by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad to the Vatican at the invitation of Pope John Paul II is significant in many ways.

Historically, he will be the first Malaysian leader to meet the Pontiff, the spiritual leader of the Catholic world.

More significantly, he will enter into a global inter-faith dialogue in the search for common ground to build a better world of tomorrow.

The visit is welcomed by all Malaysians, regardless of their religious or political persuasions.

It is a recognition of our Prime Minister’s growing international stature as a pragmatic, progressive and moderate Muslim statesman, the leader of a prosperous, harmonious and united multi-religious nation in a world littered with casualties of so-called ethnic cleansing and religious conflicts.

Far from the days when he was called a recalcitrant and more often than not, found himself almost a lone voice against a chorus of criticism, Dr Mahathir is today very much sought after by world leaders, including the American President George W. Bush, for his views.

The Sept 11 terrorist attacks on the United States seem to be the turning point.

Dr Mahathir’s close rapport with both the West and the Islamic world seems to put him in a strategic position to play a greater role in helping to address some of the world conflicts, particularly the Middle East issue.

He reckons that the Palestinian situation will take centre stage during his meeting with the Pope in the Vatican as it affects not only the Muslims but also the Christians.

But we believe the meeting will showcase to the world that differences in religion and culture are no barrier to peace and harmony as proven by Malaysia, an Islamic nation that allows different faiths to flourish.

We also believe that the fight against terrorism in the aftermath of Sept 11 will feature in the discussion and that will provide an excellent forum to clear up the misconception that the West has with regard to Islam and terrorism.

Obviously, Dr Mahathir is mindful of the local implications of the historic meeting with the Pope and he has sought the backing of his Cabinet.

We strongly believe that the meeting should rise above party politics and should be supported wholeheartedly by Malaysians of all faiths.

In a world sadly polarised by cultural, religious and ethnic differences, any dialogue is positive and should be supported.

In this respect, we concur with Umno Youth leader Datuk Hishammuddin Hussein when he expressed his hope that the meeting would set a new tone of co-operation between Muslims and Christians in the world.

Dr Mahathir should know that he has the full blessing of the nation in his meeting with the Pope, now that even Opposition leaders like PAS spiritual adviser Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat and DAP chairman Lim Kit Siang have given their full support.

Sunday, May 26, 2002

A slip of my tongue cased me to say to Belinda:"do you want with your sandwich some cheese, onions, dijon and toyota...." . Yeah i meant to say tomato, but the damage has been done.

Yeah i'm blogging late because i just came back from Marshalls. Dead tired, but it's not as though i did anything productive. Let's see math assignment due on wednesday, electronics project due on thursday and also a lab test on thursday.

Did you know that Australians pay only 500Aus fro their course and the international counterparts(like me) pay about 7.5kAus? Just a fact, perhaps that's the reason why some can afford to be in their 4th year of a 3 year course.

I somehow have the feeling that i'm gonna be that kinda of individual. At least these words of advise from my parents will stick with me:"try to focus and try your best".

All the best to all my classmates and friends who are going through their exams/finals.

Jim and Mary were both patients in a Mental Hospital. One day while they were walking past the hospital swimming pool, Jim suddenly jumped into the deep end. He sunk to the bottom and stayed there. Mary promptly jumped in to save him. She swam to the bottom and pulled Jim out. When the medical director became aware of Mary's heroic act he immediately ordered her to be discharged from the hospital, as he now considered her to be mentally stable.

When he went to tell Mary the news he said, "Mary, have good news and bad news. The good news is you're being discharged because since you were able to jump in and save the life of another patient, I think you've regained your senses. "The bad news is, Jim, the patient you saved, hung himself with his bathrobe belt in the bathroom. I am so sorry, but he's dead."

Tuesday, May 21, 2002

[During November 1995, a clever (and slightly risqué) story was widely circulated on the Internet concerning a statement Neil is supposed to have made during the Apollo 11 EVA. At the suggestion of several readers,
let me state that Neil never said "Good luck, Mr. Gorsky" at any time during the mission. Indeed, on November 28, 1995, Neil wrote, " I understand that
the joke is a year old. I first heard it in California delivered by (comedian) Buddy Hackett".]

On July 20, 1969, as Commander of the Apollo 11 Lunar Module, Neil Armstrong was the first person to set foot on the moon. His first words after stepping on the moon, "THAT'S ONE SMALL STEP FOR MAN, ONE GIANT LEAP FOR MANKIND," were televised to earth and heard by millions. But just before he reentered the lander, he made the enigmatic remark "GOOD LUCK, MR. GORSKY." Many people at NASA thought it was a casual remark concerning some rival Soviet cosmonaut. However, upon checking, there was no Gorsky in either the Russian or American Space Programs.

Over the years, many people questioned Armstrong as to what the "GOOD LUCK, MR. GORSKY" statement meant, but Armstrong always just smiled. On July 5, 1995, in Tampa Bay, Florida, while answering questions following a speech, a reporter brought up the 26-year-old question to Armstrong. This time he finally responded. Mr. Gorsky had died, so Neil Armstrong felt he could answer the question.

In 1938 when he was a kid in a small midwest town, he was playing baseball with a friend in the backyard. His friend hit the ball, and it landed in his neighbor's yard by the bedroom windows. His neighbors were Mr. and Mrs. Gorsky. As he leaned down to pick up the ball, young Armstrong heard Mrs. Gorsky shouting at Mr. Gorsky.

"SEX! YOU WANT SEX?! YOU'LL GET SEX WHEN THE KID NEXT DOOR WALKS ON THE MOON!"

TRUE STORY...

Thought of the moment:
"You just don't know what the future will bring"

Saturday, May 18, 2002

Star Wars : Episode 2

Let's just say that this must have been the best star wars episode that i have seen yet. Very tasty and alot of room for character developement. And dare i say it, Yoda can fight! The graphics were just breathtaking, just a pity that the story of anakin and his mother is so tragic, plus it seems like he and luke, they are cursed to loose both of their right hands/ arms in lightsaber fights.

Oh and i just wanna say it again, "YODA CAN FIGHT!!!!!!", woo hoooo. I think that has to be the best part of the show.

Here's another question plaguing my mind, would you or any other good son/daughter/friend do what anakin did to the Tuscan raiders?

Friday, May 17, 2002

Spiderman Vs. Blade 2

Luckily i managed to watch both the above films in that particular order. Coz if i didn't i would be dissapointed with the ending of spidey. Blade 2 was filled with so much action that i don't think there can be any other movie that can even come close to it, and yes that even includes ep 2.(that's a totally different story all together. I would like to thank the internet and file sharing software(namely Kazaa) for the free screening of these 2 excellent shows. I'll be going for ep. 2 on saturday, so perhaps i could mention a thing or 2 about it.

Monday, May 13, 2002

This is an exact replica of a supposedly actual letter
a daughter wrote to her parents from college.

Dear Mom and Dad,

It has now been three months since I left for college.
I have been remiss in writing this and I am very sorry
for my thoughtlessness in not having written before.
I will bring you up to date now, but, before you read
on, please sit down.

YOU ARE NOT TO READ ANY FURTHER UNLESS YOU ARE SITTING
DOWN.
OKAY!

Well then, I am getting along pretty well now. The
skull fracture and the concussion I got when I jumped
out of the window of my dormitory when it caught fire
shortly after my arrival are pretty well healed now. I
only get those sick headaches once a day.

Fortunately the fire in the dormitory and my jump were
witnessed by an attendant at the gas station near the
dorm, and he was the one who called the fire
department and the ambulance.

He also visited me at the hospital and, since I had
nowhere to live because of the burned out dormitory,
he was kind enough to invite me to share his apartment
with him. It's really a basement room, but it's kind
of
cute.

He is a very fine boy and we have fallen deeply in
love and are planning to be married. We haven't set
the exact date yet, but it will be before my pregnancy
begins to show.

Yes, Mother and Dad, I am pregnant. I know how much
you are looking forward to being grandparents and I
know you will welcome the baby and give it the love,
devotion and tender care you gave me when I was a
child.

The reason for the delay in our marriage is that my
boyfriend has some minor infection which prevents us
from passing our pre- marital blood tests,and I
carelessly caught it from him. This will soon clear up
with the penicillin injections I am having daily.

I know you will welcome him into our family with open
arms. He is kind and,although not well educated, he is
ambitious. Although he is of a different race and
religion than ours, I know your often expressed
tolerance will not permit you to be bothered by the
fact that his skin color is somewhat different than
ours.

I am sure you will love him as I do. His family
background is good too, for I am told that his father
is an important gun-bearer in the village from which
he came.

Now that I have brought you up to date, I want to tell
you that the truth is there was no dormitory fire, I did not have a
concussion or a skull fracture.I was not in the
hospital, I am not pregnant, I am not engaged. I do
not have syphilis and there is no man in my life.

However, I am getting a 'D' in History and an 'F' in
Science and I wanted you to see those marks in the
proper perspective. Anyway this news is better than
those above.

Your Loving Daughter.

The point of this? i hope i don't have to resort to these kinda letter IF i fail any subjects. Hope that never happens.

Sunday, May 12, 2002

If I knew it would be the last time
That I'd see you fall asleep,
I would tuck you in more tightly
and pray the Lord, your soul to keep.

If I knew it would be the last time
that I see you walk out the door,
I would give you a hug and kiss
and call you back for one more.

If I knew it would be the last time
I'd hear your voice lifted up in praise,
I would video tape each action and word,
so I could play them back day after day.

If I knew it would be the last time,
I could spare an extra minute
to stop and say "I love you,"
instead of assuming you would KNOW I do.

If I knew it would be the last time
I would be there to share your day,
well I'm sure you'll have so many more,
so I can let just this one slip away.

For surely there's always tomorrow
to make up for an oversight,
and we always get a second chance
to make everything just right.

There will always be another day
to say "I love you," and certainly there's
another chance to say our "Anything I can do?"
But just in case I might be wrong,
and today is all I get,
I'd like to say how much I love you
and I hope we never forget.

Tomorrow is not promised to anyone,
young or old alike,
And today may be the last chance
you get to hold your loved one tight.

So if you're waiting for tomorrow,
why not do it today?
For if tomorrow never comes,
you'll surely regret the day,

That you didn't take that extra time
for a smile, a hug, or a kiss
and you were too busy to grant someone,
what turned out to be their one last wish.
So hold your loved ones close today,
and whisper in their ear,
Tell them how much you love them
and that you'll always hold them dear

Take time to say "I'm sorry,"
Please forgive me," "Thank you," or "It's okay."
And if tomorrow never comes,
you'll have no regrets about today.

JokeHere's something that i got from Sean. Well at least it's still counted as a blog.

SeanWoods (11:32 AM) :
One day, Pete complained to his friend, "I caught my finger in a door and it really hurts. I guess I should go see a doctor." His friend said, "Don't do that. There's a computer at the drug store that can diagnose anything quicker and cheaper than a doctor. Simply put in a sample of your urine, and the computer will diagnose your problem and tell you what you can do about it. It only costs $10.00." Pete figured he had nothing to lose, so he filled a jar with a urine sample and went to the drug store. Finding the computer, he poured in the sample and deposited the $10.00. The computer started making some noise and various lights started flashing. After a brief pause, out popped a small slip of paper which read: You have a moderate finger sprain. Soak your finger in warm water, avoid heavy labor. It will be better in two weeks. That evening while thinking how amazing this new technology was and how it would change medical science forever, he began to wonder if this could be fooled. He decided to give it a try. He mixed together some tap water, a stool sample from his dog, and urine samples from his wife and daughter. To top it off, he picked his nose and put it into the concoction. He went back to the drug store, located the computer, poured in the sample and deposited the $10.00. The machine again made the usual noises, flashed lights, and printed out the following analysis: Your tap water is too hard. Get a water softener. Your dog has ringworm. Bathe him with anti-fungal shampoo. Your daughter is using cocaine. Put her in a rehabilitation clinic. Your wife is pregnant . . . twin girls. They aren't yours. Get a lawyer. And if you don't stop picking your nose, your finger will never get better.

Saturday, May 11, 2002

Just Another Week

Still just a normal week. I'll just post up my horoscope. My exams are in about a months time, i hope some of you guys will pray for me. I booked a ticket for returning to Malaysia on the 3rd. Can't wait for the mamak stalls and all other good things Malaysian.

Capricorn:
For ages you have been telling yourself that you would relax when eveything was done. But the pile of work or obligations that is facing you jsut keeps growing. If you wait until all those tasks are out of the way to take a break, you will be waiting for a very long time.

About Me

Freelance trader specializing in US Index Futures, Commodities, Bonds and other international markets/instruments and Trading Coach. Trying to simplify the methodology of trading, to educate investors on the availability of more mature markets and to bring some perspective to the current market volatility.
I am available for consultation, personal coaching and seminars. Please feel free to contact me at randalsage(at)gmail.com for further information.